A/N- So, originally when laying my chapters out, the was going to contain more action, less dialogue. And then the brotherly angst just started flowing and I could not contain it. So, next chapter, more action!

Daryl guided Alex up the stairs, helping to support her body. Her muscles were tight under his hand. He knew she was in pain, muscle relaxers or no. The door to their room pushed open easily and he ushered her past the sitting area. She slid onto the bed, a groan escaping her lips.

"Help me take this stuff off? I can't do it one armed."

"Always needin' someone to take care of ya huh?" She rolled her eyes at him as he gingerly helped her slide the jacket off her right arm and down the split on her left. Daryl shifted from the bed, angry energy coursing through him when he saw her clothing below.

"I will kill that motherfucker," he promised darkly as he eyed the tattered shirt doing nothing to protect his woman's body from prying eyes. "Did he. . ." his voice trailed off, as if not saying the word meant it didn't happen.

Alex reached for him with her good arm, pulling him towards here. "Daryl, look at me." She waited until his haunted eyes met hers. "He didn't rape me. I think he wanted to, but Merle stopped him. He got me out of there."

"I shoulda been with ya," he muttered under his breath.

"No. Its better you were here." Alex cut him off before he could argue. "You would have fought them to the death. I know you. You were able to track me. Probably the only one who could have." She took a deep breath. "That's what my logical side said. But emotional Alex? Yeah, she wanted you there too."

He lifted a corner of his mouth. "Ya always talk like that when ya on meds?"

"No idea. I've never been on these before. I feel like I'm floating."

"Well then, let's get ya comfortable." Daryl eyed up the shirt one more time, not sure what to do with it.

"Cut it off me."

"What?"

"Cut it off. It's ruined and I honestly will never wear it again, so just cut it off." She reached towards the coat sitting next to her, handing Daryl the knife he had given her. He delicately sliced the fabric and drew it down her arms. His hands knotted in the torn fabric as he eyed the bruises on her back. Without thinking, he leaned down and gently kissed the edge of a bruise on her back. Alex's muscles shuddered under his lips as she, finally, relaxed slightly.

Daryl threw the scraps of fabric into the sitting room as she toed off her shoes. "Need help?" he asked quietly.

"There should be a button down nightshirt in my drawer. Could you grab it for me?"

He rummaged through her pajama drawer. From the bottom the drawer he drew out what looked to be an oversized man's dress shirt. The fabric was soft from repeated washings. He fumbled a bit with the small buttons, but managed to open enough to slip it on over her head.

He stroked a hand down her good arm. "Ya been hidin' this on me?" he teased lightly.

"Mmm, nope. Not much call for a nightshirt right now. Makes more sense to wear clothes I can move in." Alex's eyes drooped slightly.

"Alright Ria. Time for ya to sleep."

"I won't argue . . . this time." She sat gingerly on the bed, curling her legs under her body.

"Huh, maybe Doc needs to give ya these more often."

"You wouldn't know what to do if I didn't argue with you."

"True." He hesitated. "Do ya need someone here?" He flashed to the nightmares she had after Jonathan's death.

"Don't think so," her sentence was punctuated with a yawn.

He traced a finger against her cheek. "I'll be back. I promise." Alex's hand clasped his wrist as he turned to leave.

"Daryl?"

"Yea lady?"

"Do what needs to be done." Her serious tone drew his gaze back to her eyes, no longer hazy with exhaustion, but clear and focused. "What they were doing there. . . Just, do what you decide needs to be done."

He gently loosened her grasp. "Don't worry. Me 'n Merle'll take care of 'em. No one hurts our family. Not anymore."

Alex settled down into the pillows as exhaustion settled over her. Her eyes had drifted shut before Daryl made it to the sitting room.

Andrea met Daryl at the foot of the stairs. She had changed in to clean, better fitting clothes, and showered. "I want to go with you," she requested, falling in step next to him.

"Ya just got here Andrea. Shouldn't ya be restin'?"

"I'm clean and eaten the best meal I've had in months. I can't just sit here. You know I'm one of the best shots around."

"How long's it been since ya held a gun?"

"Few weeks. I ran out of ammo and it was pointless to carry."

Daryl eyed the blonde woman up. She seemed calm, poised, and ready to go, not agitated and hurried like before the herd at the Greene house. "Let me talk with Merle. Haven't settled on who's comin' with us yet."

"Thanks Daryl. I need to do something." Andrea peeled off, headed back towards the kitchen. Daryl made his way out to the auto area, certain he would find Merle there. He wasn't disappointed.

"Ya kept my bike." Merle's voice sounded too even.

"Ya think I'd leave it behind? Took care of it for ya."

"Never gonna be able to ride it again." He waved the stump of a right arm in emphasis, a sardonic smile on his lips.

"Eh, we'll figure somethin'. 'Tween, you, me, and Davis, we can fix just about anythin'."

Merle swung to face his brother, eyeing him speculatively. "When ya become a team player little brother? Used ta be just you 'n me."

Daryl shrugged, slightly self-conscious. "Had to step up or we'd all die after Sophia went missin' and Shane went bat shit."

"The little girl?" Daryl eyed his brother in surprise. Merle grimaced. "I might've been high, but I saw the way her Daddy looked at her. Wasn't right."

"Yea, well, we got caught in a herd a walkers. Sophia got scared, ran off. We looked for her. She, uhh, didn't make it."

Daryl flinched slightly as Merle's hand fell on his shoulder. "Nothin' ya coulda done. Ya can now though. Let's go get the sons of bitches that hurt yer woman."

The sun had just passed mid-day when Daryl and Merle headed back out of the school compound in a seldom used F350. Merle insisted on driving and Daryl took the spot next to him. After an almost argument between the brothers, Andrea was brought along. The party was rounded out by Ben, one of the hunters Daryl had taught to use crossbow. The rest of the compound buzzed with activity. Rick and Morgan had filled the others in on what had happened. They were preparing for battle, if it came to that.

They followed Highway 100 until it curved into a fork. Merle and Ben went to work with the chains they had thrown into the truck bed. They pulled abandoned cars and trucks into a pile up around the meeting of the two roads. Andrea and Daryl scouted the woods on either side of the road before joining the other two.

Merle pulled the truck in, facing the direction they came from.

"Ben, you 'n Andrea will take watch up in the trees. Don't know how many of 'em there'll be, so keep quiet. Merle 'n I will wait here for 'em. Load up on ammo and stay outta sight."

They nodded agreement and took off towards their respective perches. Merle leaned against the hood of the truck, eyes scanning along the road in front of him. "Ya really plannin' on stayin' baby brother? Groups ain't ever been for ya before."

Daryl shifted uncomfortably. "Weren't before. Planned on headin' back to Atlanta for ya after the first time. Then the camp got over run. Headed to the CDC which was a clusterfuck. Time we got away from the walkers; I knew findin' you wasn't gonna happen. Where'd ya go brother?"

Merle heard the slight tone of betrayal and pain in his brother's voice. "Like I said, holed up in a clinic for a few days. Took care of it best I could before the damn geeks figured out I was there. Days kinda blur after that. Wound up findin' a group. Stayed with 'em a bit before headin' out on my own again."

They stood together in uncomfortable silence. Neither quite knew what to say to the other. The familiar sound of gnashing of teeth and deep snarls brought them forward as three walkers ambled out from the woods.

Daryl stepped forward, shooting one in the head easily with a bolt. Merle advanced on the second, flicking a knife from a sheath on his hip. A violent jab below the chin sent the creature falling backwards with a thud. The last hobbled forward as Merle sent his knife through the eye socket violently.

The Dixon's waited patiently, listening for the sounds of more walkers. When none came, Daryl lowered his bow as Merle wiped the blood from his blade. "Little different then huntin' squirrels," he commented idly.

"Could say that."

"Think ya can handle killin' a person if ya need to? Not one of them things?"

Daryl looked at his brother out of the corner of his eye. "Almost did before and that piece of shit hadn't hurt my girl. So yea, I can handle it."

"Ooohee. Baby brother's finally grown a pair. Never thought I'd see the day."

"I don't take kindly to people messin' with my family."

"Family's made of blood."

"Not always," Daryl disagreed. "That group has been through hell 'n back and had my back since the CDC. I'll do right by 'em. And Ria coulda left us all to starve, but she didn't. I figure the way things are now, we take family where we can get it."

"And me? Just gonna forget about kin?"

"No one said ya have to leave Merle."

Merle laughed, the sound bitter and harsh, even to his own ears. "Your woman's fine with me now. How'll she feel about me in a week? A month? No baby brother, I know where I don't belong."

"Give her a chance. Think ya might like her."

"Right. All women just love 'Ole Merle.."

Daryl turned on his brother, facing him square on. "If ya'd take your head outta your ass, ya'd realize she already knows. I ain't hiding my past from her. She knows about Ma and Dad, she's seen my scars. Hell, I even told her about getting' high on 'shrooms and seein' that damn chupacabra. Ria don't care about it."

Merle eyed his younger brother. The insecure, self-conscious sibling he knew was gone. Time apart had changed both of them and Merle wasn't sure how to handle the change, or if he could handle it.

Before he could form a response, the distant rumble of engines became audible. Daryl sprung towards their makeshift road block and raised a pair of binoculars. He handed them to Merle. "That them?" His voice was taut with barely capped anger. "Still a hot head though," Merle thought as he eyed the oncoming vehicles.

"Oh yea. That's them."

Daryl stepped back and gazed into the tree line on either side of the road. "Be ready," he shouted to Andrea and Ben and turned back to the road. Merle had scrambled up onto the hood of a derelict car and Daryl took position beside him.

"I got your back brother," he stated quietly. "Dixons protect their own."

"Ya better little brother 'cuz these guys don't fuck around."